Shelving



C. E. GERBERICH Oqt. 30,

SHELVING Filed Jan. 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Oct. 30, 1928.

C. E. GERBERICH SHELVING Filed Jan. 15. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented0a. 30, 1928. i

UNITED STATES CLARENCE E. GERBERICH, OF AURORA,

MENTS, TO LYON METAL PRODUCTS, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHELVING.

Application filed Januarj 15, 1927 Serial No. 161,393.

My invention relates'to improvements in sheet metal racks, stacks, andshelvingof' the so-called unit or built-up type.

One of the objects of my invention resides in the provision of a rack,stack or shelving which is rugged in construction, economical tomanufacture and easy to assemble and disassemble.

Another object resides in providing a stack with beveled corners whichnot only eliminate the usual sharp-angled corners of prior constructionsthat tend to mar and gouge into adjacent objects but which also providea rugged construction especially adapted to permit unit stacks to beinterconnected at their sides and corners by shelves in a manner tobrace the stack against lateral swaying in a plurality of directions.

Still another object is to provide an assemblable stack of the abovecharacter Wherein the bolts or other fastening devices which holdtogether the parts and adjacent units lie wholly within the planes ofthesides or backs of the structure whereby the exterior stack walls do notpresent salient or projecting fastening bolts.

A further object resides in the provision of obtuse-angled strips forthe corners of the stacks, which strips not only lend themselves to thepromotion of inherent strength in the stack, but also facilitate theassembly of a plurality of units.

Still another object resides in the construction of the shelves withbeveled corners, and in the arrangement of these shelves with respect tothe obtuse-angled corner strips which form the beveled corners for thestacks, and especially in the manner ofinterconnecting the side and backplates, the strips and shelves of two adjacent units to provide a ruggedand quickly assembled structure.

These and other objects of invention will be apparent from a perusal ofthe following specification when taken in connection with theaccompanyin drawings wherein Figure 1 is a ront view of my improvedconstruction with certain parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a view on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged View of the junction of the units as shown inthe central part of Figure 1.

In the drawings Which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention,each stack is substantially rectangular in shape and is provided withbeveled corners and the stacks are constructed so thatthe units may befastened together to provide a. very strong,

interconnected structure. In particular each stack comprises a backplate 2, two side plates 4: and 6, any desired number of shelves 8 and aplurality of obtusely angled strips, all of which parts are of sheetmetal. Each stack is provided with four of these strips located at thecorners so as to form the supporting feet of the stack. These stripsextend the entire height of the stack and also serve to unite the sideand back plates and shelves into one rugged structure. Each strip isbent longitudinally as at 10 to provide two flanges 12 and 14 disposedat an obtuse angle the one to the other. The flange 12 is preferablyWider than flange 14. Each strip is provided along its length with aseries of spaced-apart struckout webs 1 6 lying preferably transverselyacross the line of bend 10 as shown clearly in Figure 8 of the drawings,and intermediate these webs 16 I provide the strips with a. series ofspaced perforations 18 for receiving the fastening bolts or other meansfor uniting the parts together. serves as the attaching means for theside plates 4 and 6 while the flange 14 of each strip The flange 12 ofthe stripv forms the beveled corners for the stack. In

on its opposite ends with an inwardly turned flange 20 bent at an obtuseangle to the main.

portion of the plate. These angularly disposed strips which are of thesame angularity as the flanges 12 and 14 of the strips overlap theflange :14: so thatthe flanges 20 and the flanges 14 form diagonallydisposed or beveled corner faces for the stacks.

The shelves'are of specialconstruction and are designed to fltthebeveledcorners of the stack and so that common fastening means may pass throughthe plates, strips and shelves. Each shelf is substantially rectangularin outline to fit between tho-four corner strips and is provided withdepending side flanges 22on all four sides. At each corner the shelvesare formed with beveled vertically disposed walls formed preferably bycutting or slitting the metal of each flange at its j unction with thehorizontal wall of the shelf, and for a short distance from thecorner asat 24 which thus produces .two free ends and 28 of these adjacentflanges. These flanges are then disposed in ov rlapping relation, .themetal ofthe horizontal portion of the shelf at the cornerbeing cut awayor turned down to meet the overlapped flanges as shown in Figure 7of'the drawings. The flanges maybe suitably spot welded together and areformed with perforations-one, 30, through the angular or beveled faceformed by the overlapped flanges and the other, 32, throu h one of theadjacent side flanges of the shelf. The diagonal face formed by theoverlapped flanges 26 and 28 is disposed at an obtuse angle tocorrespond with the angularity of the flanged portions 12 and 14 of thestrips so that-when the shelves are in position the cham'fered wall ofthe shelf snugly fits the beveled wall of the stack forinecl by theflanges 14 and 20 of the strip and'back wallrespectively. When the partsare ready for assembly a fastening'bolt or other fastening device 34ispassed through the registering bolt holes in the'flanges 20, 14 andthrough the bolt'hole 30 of the shelf-S. In addition another bolt ispassed through the registering bolt holes 35 of theside plate 4, thehole 18 of stripflange 12 and through hole 32 of the shelf flange. 'Thisoccurs at all four corners of the stack so that a strong and rigidstructure is formed. If desired one or more flanges of each shelf mayhave its lower edge curled back to lend strength and rigidity. It willbe also noticed that the shelves are socured in place just between thetransversely disposed webs 16 of the vertical angle strips so that thesestrips are reinforced not only atthe webs but alsoby the shelvesthemselves.

/Vhenitwo of such stacks are united together or when an additional unitis built onto a stack a very sturdy construction is assured by arrangingthe obtusely angled strips back-toback as shown in Figure 9 of thedrawings. In thisarrangement the plate 6 will form a common side platefor the two connected stacks and will be disposed betweenthe'baclrto-back angled strips so that the corresponding flanges 12 ofthese strips form approximately the long leg of a letter Y with thedivergent flanges 14 forming the free arms of the Y. The flange 20 ofthe backplate 2 of the stack to be added and the shelf 8 are thenattached to flange 14 of the added strip to form the beveled face of thenext adjacentstacli. The fastening bolt 34 holds all of these partssecurely as heretofore described. Another single bolt 38 now serves tofasten together the two shelves, the registering flanges 12 andsideplate '6. TByreference to Figure 6 of the drawings it will benoticed that the bolts 34 which 'pass through the beveled face of'thestack and shelf members he wholly within rear wall plane of the stackand also inside of planes of projections of the back and side plates 2and 4 so'that no exposed bolts project beyond the rear face or side faceof the stack. It will be further observedthat byreason of the beveledcorners the usual right angled sharp corners are eliininated sothat'whenthe stack is moved about or if other articles contact with thecorners of'the stack'they are'less liable to becomemarredor injured.It'is also evidentthat by'reason of the diagonal corners the supportingfeet for the stacks are more extensive and hence stronger than the usualright angled strips and that the shelves are fastened in position at thecorners bytwo bolts both being disposed within the limits ofthe rearwall of the stack.

In some instances I prefer "to assemble a stack with the exterior sidewall h aving both angular strips attached in position back-toback,suclnfor instance, as hown in Figure 5 ofthe drawings wherein the addedstrip is shown with its divergent flange '14 projecting outwardly at therear. This member when thus positioned is instantly ready for havinganother unit attached'to it. So also in some instances I prefer to closethe opening at the junction of :two beveled corners of adjacent stacksby means of a vertical strip 40 which has inturned flanges 42 by whichit may be soldered or otherwise fastened to the outer walls of theflanges 14 of the strips. A stack as hereinbefore described is veryadvantageous in that it is composed of few parts, all made of sheetmetal, and arranged to be assembled by accessibly disposed bolts. Itwill be also appreciated thatby reason of the dispositionof parts eachbolt serves'to secure all of the parts in position the one to the other,the adjacent shelves being secured together in a horizontal plane andbeing solidly united to the side and rear walls 2, 4 and 6 by means ofthe angularly disposed strips-which because of their obtuse angledarrangement and the beveled faces of the shelves-provide a rigid bracingfor securing the stacks from lateral swaying in either direction, fronttoback, or .laterally.

Having thusdescribed my invention wh at I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A plurality of connected unit stacks of rectangular shape, theadjacent corners of the connected stacks each having a vertical cornerstrip providing flanges disposed at an obtuse angle, correspondingflanges being arranged back to back with a common stack platetherebetween, said flanges, plate and shelf members of each stack beingfastened together by means passing therethrough, the other flangesextending fla-ringly outwardly to form beveled corners and an exteriorplate having a flange overlapping the flaring flange of each strip andfastening means passing through said overlapping flange, the flange ofthe strip, and through a shelf member of such beveled corner, saidfastening member last mentioned lying within the planes of projection ofthe exterior plates of adjacent stacks.

2. A corner strip, for forming beveled corners of rectangular steelstacks comprising a relatively long and thin strip of sheet metal bentlongitudinally to provide flanges disposed at an obtuse an le, saidstrip being provided with struck-out webs extending across the bend andextending in spaced relation longitudinally of the strip.

3. A corner strip for forming beveled cor ners of rectangular steelstacks comprising a relatively long and substantially thin strip ofsheet metal bent longitudinally to provide flangesdisposed at an obtuseangle, said strip being provided with struck-out webs lying across thebend and extending in spaced rela tion longitudinally of the strip andsaid flanges having a series of perforations spaced longitudinally ofthe strip for receiving fastening members.

4. A rectangular shelf made from a single sheet of metal, said shelfhaving a horizontal supporting surface and integral vertical flanges,said flanges being disposed at right angles at the corners being cutaway from the horizontal surface along the face of each flange for ashort distance the free ends of the cut away portions being overlappedand united to form a beveled corner for the shelf.

5. A rectangular shelf made from an integral piece of sheet metal, saidshelf having depending flanges cut away at the corners to provide freetongues overlapped to produce a. beveled corner, one of the flangeshaving its lower edge folded upon itself to stiffen the flange.

6. A stack construction wherein the rear and side plates are disposed.at right angles, vertical strips disposed at the corner junctions ofsaid rear and side plates and having flanges disposed at an obtuse angleandmeans for fastening one of said plates to one flange of the strip,the other plate having a flange bent to lie parallel and overlap theother flange of the strip and fastened thereto whereby said plates andlast mentioned flange all lie in different planes.

7. A rectangular stack having vertical corner strips provided withflanges disposed at an obtuse angle. and exterior plates and interiorshelves fastened to the flanges, said vertical strips, plates andshelves forming beveled corners for said stack.

8. A rectangular stack comprising two side plates, four verticallyextending stri s forming front and rear corner feet anc corner membersfor the stack, each strip being bent longitudinally to form obtuselyangled flanges, means fastening the front and rear vertical edges ofeach side plate to one of the flanges of each strip whereby said otherflange forms a beveled corner for the feet and stack, and a rear platehaving its ends at the same obtuse angle and'overlapping and fastened tothe other flanges of the two rear strips.

9. A rectangular stack having a beveled corner at the junction of theexterior plates, comprising a vertical strip the base of which forms acorner foot for the stack, said strip being bent longitudinally to formobtusely angled flanges one of which is fastened to one of the platesand the other is fastened to an angularly flanged portion of the otherplate, said other flange and the flanged por-.

tion of the other plate forming the beveled corner of the stack.

10. A rectangular stack construction 'for inter-connected unit stackseach having beveled corners and including a plurality of plates,comprising in combination with the adjacent plates of the two stacks, acommon plate, two vertical strips each bent longitudinally into obtuselydisposed flanges, the corresponding flanges of each strip being arrangedback to back with an edge of the common plate fastened therebetween andthereto,

the opposite flanges of said strips diverging outwardly and formingopposed beveled corners for the united stacks, the adjacent ends of theadjacent plates being bent at similar obtuse angles and each overlappingone of said divergent flanges-and fastened thereto.

11. A corner construction for a sheet metal stack comprising incombination, with adjacent exterio1 plates of the stack disposed atright angles to each other, a vertical strip bent longitudinally toprovide flanges disposed at an obtuse angle, one of said plates beingfastened to one of said flanges, and fastening means passing through theother plate and said other flange, said fastening means lying inside ofplanes forming'projections of said plates.

12. A rectangular steel stack having beveled corners, rectangular-shapedshelves disposed in said stack and formed with correspondingly beveledcorners, said beveled corners having flanged portions formed withdiagonally disposed faces, and fastening means passing through thediagonally disposed faces of said stack and shelf corners.

13. A rectangular steel stack of the unit type comprising corner membersformed of vertical strips bent longitudinally to provide flangedportions disposed at an obtuse angle, said strips serving tojoinadjacent plates disposed at right angles and one of the flanges of eachstrip forming a beveled corner for the stack.

14:. A plurality ofconnected steel stacks of rectangular shape, eachstack having v ertically extending strips at its corners, each stripbeing bent'longitudinally at an obtuse angle to form flanges, the stripsof adjacent corners of connected stacks being arranged back-toback, acommon side plate fastened between corresponding flanges of saidadjacent strips the other flanges ofthe adjacent strips having flangedportions of exterior plates overlapstacks, shelves *for each stack, eachof said shelves having beveled corners fitting in a chanifered corner ofthe stack and having flanged portions attached to the flanges of saidstrips by the fastening 111621.113 passing therethrough.

'15. A stack of the character described comprising vertically disposedcorner stripsbent longitudinally to provide flanges disposed at anobtuse angle and braced by a series of struck-out Webs extending inspaced relation longitudinally of'the strips, side plates and backplates united to the flanges of said strips and forming With saidflanged strips beveled corners for the stacks, and a plurality ofshelves having correspondingly beveled corners and transversely disposedbetween said strips and plates and intermediate said Webs, and boltspassing through said plates, the flanges of said strips and saidshelves.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CLARENCE E. GERBERIGH.

